'Big Brother' house, rife with racism, delivers ratings for CBS

The CBS "Big Brother" house has been rocked by racism this season, offensive comments that have rattled those inside the house and (unbeknownst to those locked inside) had negative consequences on certain careers outside.

Puerto Ricans, African Americans, homosexuals and Koreans have been denigrated before a national audience. Some of the racially insensitive comments occurred on the live feed via the Internet, some were broadcast on the prime-time show.

The turn to bigotry is disheartening but perhaps not surprising.

The reality-TV formula calls for casting contentious, outsize personalities with exhibitionist streaks, putting them on view 24/7, making alcohol readily available and prompting conflict through various stunts and gamesmanship.

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The tears! The whispered alliances! The backstabbing! The potty mouths!

CBS boss Les Moonves told critics meeting in Los Angeles recently, "What you see there ... unfortunately is reflective of how certain people feel in America. It's what our show is. I think we've handled it properly."

Moonves called it "absolutely appalling" -- speaking of the racism not, as others might, the concept or content of the series itself. His wife, Julie Chen, is host of the show.

Of course it's appalling -- appalling all the way to the bank. The network has been shocked, shocked at various sorts of questionable behavior for 15 seasons now.

Rather than edit the comments, CBS tsk-tsks afterward, fueling the attention.

Again, disheartening but not surprising.

What is surprising is the continued ratings success of this aging "social experiment." The show that launched in 2000, back when Bill Clinton was president (and based on a Dutch hit), regularly draws 7 million viewers per episode. And it's up 9 percent from last year's ratings, according to Nielsen data. This week, up against the "Teen Choice Awards" on Fox, "Big Brother" was the highest-rated show of the evening, with 7.2 million viewers.

Among the most egregious remarks were those of contestant GinaMarie Zimmerman, 32, of Staten Island, N.Y., who, in the online feed, used the N-word to describe welfare as "insurance" for black people.

And they're still fighting over whether Amanda Zuckerman, 28, a real estate agent from Boynton Beach, Fla., called another housemate a "monkey." The controversy rages online. Amanda, who is white, complained about a black cast member putting a headband on her "greasy," "nappy-hair head" and mocked the accent of a Korean woman.

"Big Brother" house guest Aaryn Gries, 22, a college student from San Marcos, Texas, reportedly called one housemate a "queer"; said an Asian-American contestant should "shut up and go and make some rice"; and warned others to "be careful what you say in the dark, you might not be able to see that (expletive)," in reference to an African-American.

Gries reportedly was dropped by her modeling agency after making offensive comments.

CBS subsequently has been running a disclaimer onscreen reading, "At times, the Houseguests may reveal prejudices and other beliefs that CBS does not condone ..." and which don't represent the network's views.

Is a disclaimer enough? Should there be more oversight?

Is so-called reality TV required/allowed to include the worst of human behavior when it's already a manipulated, edited and dramatically constructed presentation?

Moonves observed innocently that the behaviors captured on camera are unfortunately reflective of the current American culture.

Or some parts of it.

The only certainty is that nothing will change as long as the ratings are on the rise.